PMTT Eagle River WI 2011 Results

A warm front and stable weather made the fish turn on for the second qualifier of the 2011 Professional Musky Tournament Trail, Mercury Marine’s Summer Challenge that was held on the Eagle River Chain in Northeast Wisconsin on June25-26. There were 98 boats entered in this annual event that is hosted by the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce. Under bright skies & temperatures in the high 70’s, the anglers registered 42 muskies up to 48.50” during the tournament. The PMTT Mercury Marine Summer Challenge was won by the team of Mike Pecosky of Oregon Wisconsin and Tony Puccio from the same area, a team that used a normally unconditional way of catching muskies.

Puccio & Pecosky fished 8- 10 feet of water where a long point came out from an underwater hump that extended towards the shoreline. The two ripped the small crank baits through suspended bait fish and newly developing scattered cabbage weed beds. Pecosky & Puccio also used smaller diameter line that was 30 pound strength but the size of 8 pound mono on spinning gear to get their small 3” crank baits down deep enough into the bait fish and weeds. The anglers fought the fish slowly because of the small hooks and light tackle that they were using. The muskies that were 48.50 and 43.00 inches in length were also the big fish of the day for both Saturday and Sunday. The triumphant team took home the first place hardware and over $15,000 in cash.

In second place were two anglers from Illinois, Dennis Sweeney of Coal City and Dewey Stewart of Pawnee. The two gentlemen cast copper and black bucktails while holding the boat in 10-12 feet of water and casting to a 4 foot deep main lake weedbed.. The two anglers came upon a spot late on Saturday that they had never fished on the chain and lost two fish that they had on. They returned to the spot on Sunday and caught three muskies measuring 40.50”, 39.50”, and 34.00” and took home the 2nd place trophies and a check for more than $3,500.

In third Place were Ryan Bock and Tim Rutzen of Three Lakes, WI. The two local angler’s casted small chartreuse and fire tiger colored baits in shallow water while moving the baits fast to entice their fish of 41.25” & 38”. In Fourth Place was Jerome Morris of Minneapolis, MN. and Jake Bucki of Medford, WI. The muskies that the two anglers boated were 39.25” and 33.25”. The two men used Double Dawg lures, allowing them to sink to the bottom and then ripping them out of the weeds to trigger strikes. Rounding out the top five was Chad Popp of Wausau, WI. and Brent Kiedrowski of Minocqua, WI. The anglers used Bulldawgs in walleye color to entice their fish of 42.75” & 31.75”.

For complete details and list of anglers catching fish during the event, please visit www.promusky.com